Railway cattle-guard



(No Model.)

Z. WIGGS.

RAILWAY CATTLE GUARD.

No. 594,050. Patented Nov. 23, 1897.'

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l UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

ZEPII WIGGS, OF DENTON, TEXAS.

RAILWAY CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,050, dated November '23, 1897.

Application led T 11110 231 1897- To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ZEPH WIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denton, in the county ofDenton and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Railway CattletGfruard, of which the following is a specicaion.

The invention relates to improvements in railway cattle-guards.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of cattle-guards and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicient one which will effectually prevent stock from passing from one iield or inclosure into another by way of a railroad-track, roadway, or the like. I

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a railway cattle-guard constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig.V

3 is a reverse plan view of a portion of one of the sections of the cattle-guard, illustrating the manner of mounting thesprings for supporting the depressible portions or platforms normally in ahorizontal position. Fig. 4C is a transverse sectional view of the stockguard.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw-l ings.

l and 2 designate central and side sections of a railway cattle-guard designed to be arranged between the rails 3 and at the outer sides thereof to prevent stock from crossing from one field or inclosure and enteringanother.

The cattle-guard, although especially de-v signed for use in connection with railwaytracks, may also be employed at other points, if desired. Each section consists of arigid portion 4 and a hinged platform or portion 5, forming an extension of the rigid portion and adapted to be depressed by stock. The rigid portion 4, which is mounted upon the adjacent cross-ties, is provided with projections or spurs 6, preferably formed by striking triangular'portions or tongues up Serial No. 642,627. (No model.)

The depressible platform 5, which is constructed with a smooth upper face, is designed to receive the stock, which will step upon the same in preference to treading upon the obstructions of the fixed portion 4, and when trodden upon the platform 5 will drop between the cross-ties and thereby frighten the stock and prevent them from crossing over the cattle-guard. As soon as the pressure is removed from the platform 5 the latter will be returned to a horizontal position by springs 8, preferably mounted upon the pintles of the hinges 7 and engaging the lower face of the platform, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, but the springs may be mounted in any other suitable manner.

The projecting portion or edge of the fixed part of the cattle-guard is supported by longitudinal bars 9, which extend over the depressible platform at the side edges thereof from the said xed part 4 to the adjacent cross-tie, and they also serve to prevent the cross-ties from slipping laterally and binding against the free edges of the platforms and interfering with the downward movement thereof. The depressible platforms'abut against the lower faces of the longitudinal bracing-bars and have their upward movementlimited by the same.

This invention has the following vadvantages:

The cattle-guard is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction,and it effectually prevents stock from crossing it.

The hingedv depressible platforms, which may be arranged at either or both ends of the fixed portions, are adapted to be readily applied to many of the forms of stock-guards in use on railroads,and such combination will avoid discarding many of the surface stockguards, which are now being removed by railroads from their tracks.

What I claim is- ICO l. A railway cattle-guard comprising a fixed horizontal portion provided with rigid obstructions, and a smooth depressible platform or portion hinged at its inner end to the fixed portion and forming a continuation of the same, said depressible portion being adapted to drop between the cross-ties When trodden upon by stock, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with supporting-ties or the like, of a fixed horizontal portion mounted thereon, provided with suitable rigid obstructions and projecting from one of the cross-ties, the rigid longitudinal supporting-bars extending from my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 2 5 jthe presence of two Witnesses.

ZEPH WIGGS. Witnesses:

R. L. BASS, CEAS. CAMERON. 

